Pistons president says 'no timeline' to hire Monty Williams' replacement

After the Pistons decided to hire Trajan Langdon as their new president of basketball operations, he has made his biggest decision on the force. Last week, veteran coach Monty Williams was fired after just one campaign in Detroit, a historic disappointment after amassing 28 awards.

Although it appears that the Michigan club is taking the right steps in rebuilding, there is still plenty of mystery surrounding their future. When asked when they would hire a replacement for Williams, Langdon could not give a specific answer. “I can't give you a timeline,” he said of his coaching search.

But the thing is, beyond Cade Cunningham, there is a lot of uncertainty in Detroit's camp. However, owner Tom Gores seems confident that he has found the right person to lead the franchise to success.

Hear from Pistons owner Tom Gores why he feels new President of Basketball Operations, Trajan Langdon, is the right person to take this franchise in the right direction. 🗣️#DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/A1kPepqxSG

– Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) June 21, 2024

“After evaluating everything, I felt the best way to choose an organization was a new beginning,” he said last Friday when the Pistons officially introduced Langdon. “Our past mistakes have nothing to do with one person. We needed a new beginning and we needed Trajan to lead the new beginning.”

Trajan replaces former GM Troy Weaver after serving as general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans. After firing Monty last week with five years and $65 million left on his contract, he has been considering options such as JB Bickerstaff, Sean Sweeney, Michael Nori and James Borrego as potential candidates for the job.

The new President inherits a very young roster, with 11 of its players aged 25 or younger. “It was because we wanted to win,” said Gores, after the disappointing 14-68 mark. “We want to develop these young players.”

The team will continue to build around their star Cunningham, who averaged 22.7 points this past season. “The thing we are looking at with the space we have is to bring in contracts maybe from other teams and collect assets,” confirmed Langdon. “I hope that the incoming players can increase the growth rate [of the younger players]. If we can combine those two things, that would make our summer a success. “

Langdon also couldn't give a time frame for expecting the Pistons to build a strong enough team for the playoffs.

Yes, Trajan has only been on the job in Detroit for three weeks, but for a team in dire need of a rebuild, there's no time to waste. Still, every time the new President is asked when he expects the Pistons to take their next steps, he can't set a date.

Last week, the media asked what you think the Michigan franchise will finally return to the postseason after more than 15 years without winning a playoff series. “I don't think there is a set time for us to reach the play-offs,” he said.

During his official introduction, Gores explained why he decided on Langdon as the team manager. Tom said he not only praised his basketball knowledge, but also his general leadership skills, as he was given full authority to run the day-to-day operations.

“I have high hopes that this relationship with Trajan will work, that it will change our franchise,” said the Pistons owner, as the club prepares to make major changes this summer.